When I was in college at Texas A & M, I befriended a young married woman named Margie. I have lost contact with her, we never were BFFs, but even though we were only friends for a little while, she made an impression on me. She was deeply and genuinely kind. I remember spending an evening with her. We ate a nice dinner and then sat and watched the angel fish in her large tank as we talked. She told me that something she liked to do was “collect people”. Don’t be afraid, she didn’t have bodies in the freezer. She explained that she realized that every person she meets and interacts with is important and helps to shape her, so she tries to ‘collect’ them, and keep their touch on her life alive and meaningful.
Clearly, even though that was over 30 years ago, I took her idea to heart and ‘collected’ her for myself. When I meet new people or enjoy time with people I cherish, I try to absorb them and make them and what they have added to my life a permanent part of my heart.
Our plans are becoming more and more solid, and we are getting close to making our permanent move out of Wyoming and to the Caribbean. We have many very dear and precious people in our lives who won’t be going with us. I’d like to think that I will stay in touch with all of them and that when we come back to visit everything will be the same, but I know that this just isn’t true. It isn’t possible. We will move on and so will our friends. Now is the time for me to be very intentional and ‘collect’ my friends and their love and influence on my life into something that I can keep and hold on to. So, I begin to consider what special, unique gift each person in my life has generously given me. I will hold on to: Betty’s bell-like voice as she sings the descant of “Seek Ye First” at Sunday morning worship — Jordan and his eternal greeting of “Youou look nice.” — Charlotte’s undeniable talent at the piano — Jeff’s enthusiasm for the God he serves — Maxwell, the little kid who lives two doors down and always wears one red shoe and one blue shoe, who knocked on our door one evening and came in to watch TV for a while. … These are just the beginning of my thoughts and the clear glassy surface of a deep lake of people who have shared themselves with me through the years.
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